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Rafferty Hosts Environmental Roundtable at
Ursinus College
COLLEGEVILLE -- State
Senator John C. Rafferty, Jr. (R-44), hosted an environmental roundtable
discussion last week on the campus of Ursinus College, Montgomery County, to
bring several key individuals and diverse groups together in an effort to
discuss issues surrounding storm water runoff, flooding, and open space
preservation.
Representatives from various environmental groups,
trade organizations, development groups, and citizen organizations throughout
the state were in attendance, along with officials from both the state, county,
and local governments.
Jeff Schmidt, Sierra Club Chapter Director, and
Nathan Willcox, with PennEnvironment, moderated the two discussion groups. The
dialogue within this environmental roundtable discussion focused on maintaining
a balance between open space preservation and economic development, and the
issues surrounding water contamination as it relates to sewer discharge, storm
water runoff, and erosion.
Nathan Willcox, Energy and Clean Air Advocate for
PennEnvironment, was encouraged by the environmental roundtable, stating, “We
were very excited to be a part of this discussion, as it brought together
government officials, the environmental community, and citizens representing
various interests, to discuss issues that are important to them while at the
same time keeping the responsibility of environmental stewardship as the prime
focus.
“The open exchange of ideas between the various
individuals representing diverse and sometimes competing interests allowed us to
analyze their ideas and concerns and focus on very specific problems and
potential solutions surrounding the critical balance between economic
development and protecting our environmental resources,” Rafferty said.
“For many of the participants, this is the first
time they have sat down face-to-face with individuals representing a host of
diverse groups with very different objectives in an effort to gain perspective
and get to the core issues surrounding environmental responsibility and
achieving the proper balance between our economy and the environment,” Rafferty
said.
Senator Rafferty plans to host a second
environmental roundtable discussion in the near future that will build on the
successes of the first meeting and move toward developing even more ideas and
dialogue between those individuals interested in protecting our environmental
resources.
“Our goal for the next meeting is to encourage even
more open discussion between the interested parties on these two very important
topics and further examine the delicate balance that exists between economic
development and protecting our environment and open spaces. It is important
that the interests of these groups are well represented and I intend to extend
invitations to more individuals for the second meeting,” Rafferty said.
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